Michiganders for Shelters Pets was created to help bring together Michigan voters, animal shelters, animal protection organizations, businesses and professionals in a coordinated effort to advance the welfare of Michigan shelter pets. This is not a lobbying organization; instead, it is a coalition to bring Michiganders together for a common purpose.

Michiganders for Shelters Pets is not a nonprofit organization, but is a coalition of concerned Michiganders who want to help shelters and the animals in their care. Our mission is to positively impact the lives of homeless pets and to work collaboratively with Michigan shelters. We promote only peaceful & evidence-based animal advocacy within the boundaries of the law.

For 2015/2016, our primary goals include assisting with efforts to ban gas chamber euthanasia and pound seizure in Michigan shelters. Additional animal protection goals may be added in the future.

On January 12, 2016, Branch County Commissioner Hazelbaker seconded a motion by Commissioner Houtz that Branch County Animal Control shall discontinue the use of the gas chamber for euthanizing animals. The motion carried.

The state of Michigan is now FREE of shelter carbon monoxide gas chambers! Time to celebrate this great achievement!

Stay tuned…..we still MUST close the loop by making this a statewide law. Why? Without a law a shelter could resort to gassing in the future. But for now, please take the time to celebrate the long, hard road to becoming a gas chamber free state! We all deserve it!

That’s right! You heard it here. Just ONE county – Branch County. The Commissioners have made it very clear that they only want to hear from Branch County residents (Sherwood, Bronson, Quincy, Coldwater) only. If you are a Branch county resident – we need YOU to hand out FLYERS!

For more info for Branch county residents on what they can do to help stop the use of the gas chamber at their county animal shelter, please CLICK HERE. We have information on how to contact your County Commissioners, samples of letters and phone messages to let them politely know your thoughts

The last week of August was a heck of a week. On Wednesday, August 26th, Van Buren Cty animal controls gas chamber left the building and was decommissioned. On Thursday, August 27th, Berrien county Commissioners stated that dogs & cats at Berrien cty animal control would no longer be euthanized using their gas chamber. The Commissioners gave the animal shelter 90 days to make that change. Then on Friday, August 28th, Cass county quickly followed suit with a public announcement that they would be making the change to EBI only by January 1, 2016.

That only leaves Branch County animal control as an “unknown”. Until today. We spoke with Sheriff Pollack who stated that the gas chamber that was in the shelter fire in May of 2015 was still usable and was not destroyed. They did not indicate that they were going to discontinue the use of the shelter. In fact, they indicated the opposite. That leave Branch County as the ONLY county left in Michigan that would be killing dogs & cats in a gas chamber. Visit our facebook page for more on what YOU can do to help stop gas chamber use in Branch county.

JUNE 16th, 2015: SB 403 has been introduced to end the use of gas chambers in Michigan shelters! Thank you to primary sponsor Marty Knollenberg and co-sponsors Rick Jones, Ken Horn, Tonya Schuitmaker, John Proos, Curtis Hertel Jr., and Jim Marleau. Please contact your Senator to ask for her or his support of this important humane legislation! Find your Senator at http://www.senate.michigan.gov/fysbyaddress.html.

Although SB 354 did get a hearing in the House of Representatives local government committee earlier in 2014, Representative Amanda Price (chair of local gov committee) did not call for a vote. Sadly this means that SB 354 has died during the 2013-2014 legislative Session. We are truly disappointed and surprised given that there was no public opposition for this bill.

S.B. 354 passed out of the Senate Agriculture committee today with a 5-0 vote! On to the full Senate! Contact Senator Arlan Meekhof (click for his contact info) and politely ask him to support & vote for S.B. 354. Also, contact YOUR Senator and ask them to support S.B. 354 when a hearing is held. CLICK HERE to find your Senators contact info.

Senator Rick Jones (R) introduced S.B. 354 - this bill will require Michigan animal shelters to only use EBI (Euthanasia by Injection) and will ban the use of gas chambers. More details to come soon…..

THURSDAY JUNE 14th, 2012:

Senator Hune has finally called a hearing for SB 423/424. Please join us at room 110 Farnum Building at 9am.

PCRM obtained shelter and veterinary records through the Michigan Freedom of Information Act for Queenie, a Dalmatian mix who was used in one of the experiments conducted by Donal O’Leary, Ph.D. These records show that Queenie suffered immensely at the hands of O’Leary and his staff at Wayne State University in Detroit. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

OCTOBER 2011:

Do you live in LIVINGSTON, SHIAWASSEE, or SOUTHERN INGHAM COUNTY? If so, contact your Senator – Senator Joe Hune! Ask him to please hold a hearing for SB 423/SB 424 to stop gassing in Michigan Animal Shelters. Call him at 517-373-2420 or email senjhune@senate.michigan.gov

PICTURE OF ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, MICHIGAN CARBON MONOXIDE GAS CHAMBER

ACTION ALERT 6-10-11: We have exciting news…. Legislation has just been introduced to end the use of gas chamber euthanasia in Michigan shelters and by Class B dealers! On Thursday, Sen. Rick Jones (R-Grand Ledge) and Sen. Steve Bieda (D-Warren) introduced SB 423 and SB 424, to require that Michigan animal shelters, and USDA-licensed dealers who broker pets for resale, use only the more humane method of Euthanasia by Injection (EBI) on shelter cats and dogs. The bills were referred to the Senate Agriculture Committee, where we are now hoping to get a hearing as soon as possible.

Here’s what you can do: Please contact your legislator and ask him or her to support SB 423 and SB 424 to end the use of gas chambers on shelter pets. Please feel free to utilize some or all of this information.

“As a constituent in your district who cares deeply about Michigan pet protection, I am asking you to support SB 423 and SB 424. These bills would require that only euthanasia by injection, the most humane method available, is used on shelter pets. This would end the inhumane use of gas chambers, which has already been outlawed in 17 states. There is no excuse to gas our shelter pets when a more humane and less expensive euthanasia option is readily available to all Michigan shelters. Please vote YES for SB 423 and SB 424 and protect our state’s shelter pets.”